1933 Bulli state by-election

1933 Bulli state by-election

←  1932 3 June 1933 1935  →
Electoral district of Bulli in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Registered	13,008
Turnout	92.0% ( 5.3)
First party Second party Third party   Candidate John Sweeney Arthur Butterell Albert Willis Party Labor United Australia Miners Primary  vote 5,376 3,084 2,783 Percentage 45.5% 26.1% 23.5% Swing 17.3 4.0 23.5 TPP 65.4% 34.6% TPP swing 65.4 34.6
MP before election Andrew Lysaght Labor Elected MP John Sweeney Labor

The 1933 Bulli state by-election was held on 3 June 1933 to elect the member for Bulli in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, following the death of Labor MP Andrew Lysaght. ^{[1] [2]}

John Sweeney retained the seat for the Jack Lang-led Labor Party despite a negative swing of 17.3% from the 1932 state election. ^{[3] [4]} Much of the party's vote went to Albert Willis, who contested the by-election as a "Miners' Candidate" after being expelled from Labor for standing against an endorsed candidate. ^{[5] [6]}

Key events

A UAP supporter handing out how-to-vote cards to young coal miners at a polling booth in Coledale

• 3 May 1933 − Andrew Lysaght dies ^[8]
• 7 May 1933 − Writ of election issued by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly ^[9]
• 22 May 1933 − Candidate nominations ^[10]
• 3 June 1933 − Polling day ^[11]
• 9 June 1933 − Results declared ^[12]
• 14 June 1933 − Return of writ ^[13]

Candidates

Party		Candidate	Background
	United Australia	Arthur Butterell	Accountant and candidate for West Sydney at the 1931 federal election [14] [15]
	Communist	Paul Martin	Labourer who said he was "sure to finish fourth" [15] [16] [17]
	Labor	John Sweeney	Former secretary of the Southern District Miners' Federation [18]
	Miners	Albert Willis	Former Agent-General and Legislative Council member [19] [20]

Additionally, the Federal Labor Party was expected to contest the by-election after receiving 3.8% of the vote in 1932, but this did not eventuate. ^[21]

Results

1933 Bulli state by-election ^[22]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	John Sweeney	5,376	45.5	−17.3
	United Australia	Arthur Butterell	3,084	26.1	−4.0
	Miners	Albert Willis	2,783	23.5	+23.5
	Communist	Paul Martin	586	5.0	+1.7
Total formal votes			11,829	98.9	+0.1
Informal votes			136	1.1	−0.1
Turnout			11,965	92.0	−5.3
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	John Sweeney	7,734	65.4	+65.4
	United Australia	Arthur Butterell	4,095	34.6	+34.6
	Labor hold		Swing	N/A

See also

• Electoral results for the district of Bulli
• List of New South Wales state by-elections

References

1. "MINERS' FEDERATION BIDS FOR CONTROL". Barrier Miner. 22 May 1933. p. 1. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
2. "CANDIDATES IN THE BY-ELECTION AT BULLI TODAY". Sydney Morning Herald. 3 June 1933. p. 16. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
3. "LANG'S PERSONAL BULLI TRIUMPH". Truth. 4 June 1933. p. 1. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
4. "BULLI BY-ELECTION". The Australasian. 10 June 1933. p. 10. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
5. "CHALLENGE TO MR LANG". The Herald. 20 May 1933. p. 1. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
6. "BULLI". Sydney Morning Herald. 5 June 1933. p. 6. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
7. Roberts, Mick (7 May 2019). "Handing out 'how to votes' at Coledale on polling day". Looking Back. Archived from the original on 31 January 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
8. "Obituary". Warwick Daily News. 3 May 1933. p. 6. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
9. "Legislative Assembly Office". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. 17 May 1933. p. 1647. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
10. "BULLI BY-ELECTION". Weekly Times. 27 May 1933. p. 6. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
11. "BULLI BY-ELECTION". The Age. 18 May 1933. p. 10. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
12. "BULLI BY-ELECTION". Sydney Morning Herald. 8 June 1933. p. 10. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
13. "BULLI BY-ELECTION". The Daily Telegraph. 13 May 1933. p. 7. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
14. "BULLI BY-ELECTION CANDIDATES". Sydney Morning Herald. 19 May 1933. p. 16. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
15. "BULLI BY-ELECTION NOMINATIONS". Labor Daily. 24 May 1933. p. 5. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
16. "Paul Martin, C. P. Candidate". The Workers' Weekly. 19 May 1933. p. 1. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
17. "Bulli By-Election". South Coast Times and Wollongong Argus. 2 June 1933. p. 10. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
18. "J.T. SWEENEY IS SELECTED FOR BULLI CONTEST". Labor Daily. 18 May 1933. p. 6. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
19. "WILLIS ON 'INNER GROUP'". Western Age. 2 June 1933. p. 1. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
20. Farrell, Frank. "Albert Charles Willis (1876–1954)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Archived from the original on 8 January 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
21. "BULLI BY-ELECTION". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. 6 May 1933. p. 8. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
22. Green, Antony. "Bulli - By-election 1933". Parliament of New South Wales. Archived from the original on 8 March 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2025.